Education Commons^™

Informal Science Engagement Via Extension Exhibits: A Pilot Evaluation Of Adult State Fairgoers’ Experiences, Attitudes, And Learning At Raising Nebraska, Jamie Loizzo, Nathan W. Conner, Karen J. Cannon Ph.D., Elizabeth Janning, Jeffrey Rollins

Journal of Applied Communications

Science communication and informal science education collide in the context of Extension state fair exhibits for engaging public audiences in critical agricultural and natural resource issues impacting people’s daily lives. A need exists to employ systematic communication and education theory and techniques to effectively deliver scientific information in informal learning spaces. In an effort to apply and expand systematic instructional design thinking and research in informal science learning, this study piloted a touchscreen iPad survey evaluation (n= 93; ages 19-66) of adult state fairgoers’ demographics, experiences, attitudes, and learning during their visit to a 25,000 square-foot facility featuring an Extension …